Mini-Dads that set a bad example/Open Practice

[RichB]

1. Mini-Dads

Anyone ever have a mini-dad cuss them out at a practice? I had some guy go postal on me today cussin me out and everything because I passed his son in a burm! This dude flagged me down on the track and commenced to yelling and cussing at me in front of his son (who was trying to start the bike in another location of the track when I stopped the next lap) because "I was trying to be a big man passing kids."

I just thought that the dude was way out of line in a couple of different ways not the least of which was yelling at me in front of his kid. What the heck are you supposed to do no pass anyone on a mx track during practice?

It was the weirdest thing, because I was putting around behind this kid for 1/2 a lap before I decide to take the outside line in a burm to get around him. I never block-passed him or even came close to rubbing plastic with the kid. Unfortunately I had to defend myself by basically telling the kid's dad that if he didn't shut his pie hole I'd shut it for me, + to get a life.

Don't know about you guys but my kids aren't old enough to ride tracks yet but I would NEVER act like that in front of them.

2. Open Practice formats.

Just wondering if any of you guy's local tracks allow big bikes and minis to ride at the same time? The track I went to today was in Mesquite, AZ/NV. Personally, I think it's dumber than dirt and dangerous to allow that situation.

[thumpy]

Hey Rich,

That guy sounds like a real prick. He's lucky he wasn't near a shrubbed area or he might be soft foods for 6 weeks (the track I rode today has lots of shrubbs ? ) He sounds like the typical guy that'll be screaming at everyone after his kids race. It sucks, but what can we do the world is full of morons like him. The best thing to do is wait till his kid isn't looking and lay a fat roost on him. I got over being a nice guy a long time ago, so now I just treat people the way they treat me and that guy would not have liked the reciprical treatment.

I'm up in the air with respect to the little guys on the track with us. It is very dangerous and I wouldn't allow my son out there (on a track with 125's or bigger) but I see dads and their little ones putting around the track and they seem to have a good time. I wouldn't want to put the kabosh on something like that. I would be mortified if I injured a little one out there so I know exactly where you're coming from. I've been riding around them for several years and haven't had contact but it's always in the back of my mind.

Incidentally, virtually all the tracks out here allow the little guys/gals out with the bigger bikes.

Try not to let that monkey get under your skin.

[thumper4life]

around here, its pretty safe.....we have different classes go out for practice. 60's 80's go out, 125 beginners and novice, then 125 intermediate and up. then 250 beginner and novice, and 250 intermediate and up. then quads. its around 10-15 minutes a practice. its alot more safer than having like a intermediate 250 rider out there and then end up hurting a beginning 80 rider just because the 80 isnt jumping

[EK314]

I recently had an experience just the opposite of yours. I was at VMC the Friday after Thanksgiving and was dicing around the track with Scott F. As we came up to the big double on the front straight there was a kid on a brand new YZ85 in front of us. He was kind of shakey and was on the left side of the track. We did not do the double because we were to close to the kid and the jump.

Scott was in front of me and we rolled the first jump and Scott passed the kid. Scott got back on the gas and I did too. I approached the second jump and the kid drove from the left side line to the right so he could exit the track. He never looked before he crossed directly in front of me and there was no way I could avoid him. I Was able to lock the back brake and throw the bike sideways and the left side of my bike hit the right side of his, kind of like a sideswipe.

The kid got launched off of the track and his bike and he probably flew 10 feet past his bike. In my anger I asked him what the heck he was thinking. He said he looked before crossing and I immediately lashed back with a big "no you didn't". I asked if he was ok and he said "no" as he tried to stand up and went back down to the ground. I actually felt sorry for the kid.

His dad comes running over and immediately attends to the kid for a couple of minutes. He looks up at me, stands up and walks quickly over to me. I was waiting for the guy to shove me off of my bike and then it was going to get ugly.

I was pleasently suprised when the dad asked me if I was ok. He told me he saw the whole incident and his kid was not paying attention. He asked again if I was ok. He asked about my bike and said if anything was damaged he would replace it. He asked again if I was ok. He appologized for his son and that was all she wrote. The kid ended up being ok.

This guy could have just as easily been a HUGE jerk. We hear and read of so many bad things happening all of the time that I sometimes forget that there are some genuinely nice people out there. Did I mention he asked if I was ok???

Ernie

[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: yzernie ]

[Boit]

None of the tracks I race on allow small bikes to practice with larger displacement mahines. Example: we practice 125cc and up together. 80cc practices alone. 65cc, 60cc and 50cc expert practices together. 50cc oil injected and smallboy goes for about 15 minutes. Something like that.

[sirthumpalot]

At our local track they allow all sizes to ride together. Visibility is pretty good there so I'm fine with the faster 80's and up (some of those kids are as fast as the bigger bikes!) but beginners on 80's and smaller bikes really shouldn't mix with the larger bikes in my opinion. On super busy days they will stop everyone and have 20 minute mini's only sessions which I think is great, but I've only seen this once or twice.

Rich your situation stinks. That poor kid will probably grow up to be just like his dad too.. IMHO probably the best thing that you can do is show this guy how much of a jerk he's being by being a perfect gentleman, especially in front of the kid. Maybe he'll learn from your good example since the dad obviously cannot provide one. The dad should have been thankful that you took your time to find a safe place to pass.

[ThomasYZ426F]

Rich,

Speaking as a Dad of an 8 year old little boy, I would never "Go Off" on anyone in front of him for any reason.

My boy wants to get started in MX and we are currently getting a track built at the dealership where we bought the bikes. There will be several people on the trach while he is learning. If he gets passed, he gets passed. If he looses it while getting passed, he'll have to pick the bike up and get it going again.

However, if an adult or larger kid knocked him down and hurt him on purpose, I would have to say something. But I would never go off and cuss someone whether it was in front of my son or not.

Seems like this "Dad" needs to teach his son to let others pass until he can hold his own.

You did nothing wrong.

[RichB]

Looks like we all pretty much agree on this one. It still bothers me what happened yesterday. I've been thinking about it off and on today. I'm totally not the inconsiderate guy, so when someone goes off on me for no reason it bugs me as well as pisses me off.

I too have huge respect for some of the mini riders but man, if I ever hurt one of those kids it would kill me.

Glad to hear about Ernie's experience, that's how I would act if my son did something irresponsible. I would use it as a life lesson for the boy.

As far as any adult purposely running over a kid I've never seen it happen and I certainly don't know any vet riders that would act like that (although I'm sure they may be out there somewhere).

Thanks guys for making me feel a little better about the situation!

[forloop]

I thinks this guy was out of line. I have found that most poeple at the track are pretty good about respecting each other.

The fast guy's have to watch out for the slow guy's and the slow guy's have to try to give the fast guy's room.

Rick

[Odie]

At most tracks around here, 80's are allowed with the big bikes. Anything smaller gets thrown onto the pee-wee track. I feel that's the way it should be. I for one am very uncomfortable coming up on the small guys. You just don't know what they'll do. Man - it would kill me if I ever collided with one and he/she got hurt. When my son starts riding, there's no way I'll allow him on the big track - not until he masters his 80.

I had a buddy who always brought his 2 boys riding - cute kids. But no matter where we went, he felt that his kids had the right to ride the big track. He would just cut them loose. It use to piss everyone off - man we use to have some arguments. It's a real scary fealing to come up over a double, look down and find a 6 year old stumbling to get his KTM50 up & over the landing pad. Well anyway, that practice stopped - unfortunately it took a lot of arguing, 1 banged up kid and 1 crushed KTM. I'm so happy I wasn't there to see it.

Later,

Odie

[ December 18, 2001: Message edited by: Odie ]

[sirthumpalot]

Today I saw arguably the stupidest thing I've ever seen. A dad with his kid, who was on a PW50 and was clearly just starting out, riding on the regular track along with the larger bikes. The second time I encountered this pair was over a step-up with a totally blind landing (couldn't see over it until you cleared it). Thankfully as I was turning the corner and accelerating towards the jump I saw this kids bike disappear over the landing. If I had not seen that I surely would not have known that the kid was there and likely would have landed on top of him/her. Did I mention that the dad was waiting on the landing side where no one could see him either? What really gets me is that no more than 50 yards to the side of the regular track is a peewee track...

[RichB]

Scary sirthumpalot.

I've come to the conclusion that a majority of the people in today's world are idiots and/or they could give 2 s*&ts less about anyone but themselves.

Guess we can only do the best we can do.

[AK-thumper]

Hate to say it, but you should have got right in his face. If his kid can't handle the track with other riders he should pull him off and wait until it cleared out. I say let the &%$#@! within out when appropriate and kick his a$$ (or take a beating out of principal, it builds character).